Until We Meet Again
by eyeslikestars
Summary: Harry returns to Privet Drive one last time before his 17th birthday, and this time he brings Ron and Hermione along. But he wasn't counting on meeting the niece of his squib neighbor. What will he do when he finds himself forgetting about Ginny?
1. Harry's return to Privet Drive

Harry approached #4 Privet Drive with the usual sense of foreboding. He supposed he should be grateful that this was the last time he'd ever have to stay there for the rest of his life, but he just couldn't summon the optimism. All of the years of loneliness and mistreatment he'd spent there kept flashing in his mind.

Of course, this time it was bound to be different. He'd never returned to the Dursleys with his best friends in tow. Harry glanced at Hermione and Ron.

"Are you two _sure_ you want to do this?"

Hermione tisked at him.

"Harry, we went over this a million times on the train. We are staying with you no matter what."

"Yeah," Ron added, "even if that means spending two miserable weeks with your aunt and uncle." Hermione poked him in the ribs reprovingly.

Lupin laughed.

"Come on now, you three. We can't stand on the doorstep holding your luggage all night." Lupin leaned forward and knocked briskly on the door.

There was no answer.

After a few moments, Harry sighed and pushed the door open himself, leading the other three into the Dursley home.

Uncle Vernon was in the lounge. He sat rigidly in an arm chair reading the newspaper. When he didn't acknowledge them, Lupin stepped forward.

"Mr. Dursley, I am Remus Lupin. I sent you a letter two days ago, but never got any reply. I'm here to deliver Harry and his friends for their stay."

He extended a hand towards the newspaper, which Uncle Vernon lifted to completely obscure his face. Harry was willing to bet that behind that paper Uncle Vernon's face was probably a delicate shade of crimson by now. He felt Ron and Hermione shift uncomfortably behind him.

"Come on," he said, gesturing to the stairs and picking up Hedwig's cage. "Let's get our things put away while Lupin, er, talks to my uncle."

Ron and Hermione followed obediently and said nothing until they were safe behind Harry's closed bedroom door. Ron let out a low whistle.

"What a welcome. Harry you should tell your uncle not to be so friendly, or Hermione and I might never want to leave."

Harry smiled grimly.

"Actually, I prefer him that way. It's a vast improvement from his normal personality."

"Let's get our things put away, you two. Then we can go rescue Lupin." Hermione pointed at their trunks, which Ron and Harry dutifully began unpacking. Harry made as much room as possible in his closet, shoving his belongings on one shelf so Ron and Hermione would have somewhere to store their own things. Harry gave Hedwig a consolatory pat and tossed an owl treat into her cage before returning downstairs with the other two.

They stopped at the foot of the stairs, holding back laughter at what they saw in the lounge.

Lupin had taken a seat in the arm chair next to Uncle Vernon's. He was sipping tea, which Harry was sure he must have conjured up himself, as none of the Dursleys would dream of offering refreshments to a wizard. He was also carrying on a quite pleasant conversation, while Uncle Vernon struggled to keep his hold on the newspaper, which had sprung to life. It looked like a large black-and-white bird as it flapped and tossed in the air, trying desperately to escape Uncle Vernon's grasp.

Lupin looked up at Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"All settled in, then?"

Harry nodded, and Lupin stood.

"Well, Vernon, it was lovely talking to you." Lupin smiled at Uncle Vernon, and the paper suddenly stopped struggling and fell innocently into Uncle Vernon's lap.

Harry walked Lupin to the front door.

"It is imperative that you three keep a low profile this summer," Lupin instructed, lowering his voice. "You only have to be here for the next two weeks to keep the protection Dumbledore told you about, and then you can join the rest of us at the burrow for Bill and Fleur's wedding."

"I know, we'll stay out of trouble," Harry promised, but the words sounded unconvincing even to his own ears. Lupin smiled sympathetically.

"Two weeks of staying in line, Harry, that's all we ask."

"Don't worry, we'll be good," Hermione assured Lupin.

"Alright, then I will return in two weeks to take you to the burrow." He opened the door, but turned back to them when he reached the front step of the house. "Oh, I may have mentioned to your Uncle Vernon that Ron and Hermione are legally able to do magic outside of Hogwarts since they're both of age in our world. But you might want to tell your cousin the same thing, just in case." He smiled and walked away.

Harry closed the door after Lupin left, his expression miserable. Uncle Vernon had returned to holding the newspaper in front of his face. They could hear Aunt Petunia in the kitchen, banging pots and pans around in preparation for dinner. Harry assumed Dudley was also in the kitchen in hopes of dipping his fat fingers into whatever Aunt Petunia was cooking.

Harry also assumed he and his friends were anything but welcome for dinner.

"Come on, I've got some snacks in my trunk," he said, again leading the way up to his room. "We can go out for some dinner later."

"Won't your uncle stop us from coming and going as we please?" Hermione asked as they climbed the stairs.

"You heard Lupin," Harry replied, grinning. "You two can do magic outside of Hogwarts. Uncle Vernon is probably too scared to introduce himself, let alone stop us from doing anything."

It was definitely going to be an interesting two weeks, Harry thought.


	2. Mrs Figg's niece

**Chapter 2**

Lupin walked across the street and knocked on the front door of another house on Privet Drive. After a moment, the door swung open, allowing three suspiciously large cats to go running out the door. Lupin couldn't help but smile.

"Still crossbreeding the Kneazles and Muggle cats, I see, Arabella."

The old woman shooed more cats out of the entry way and waved him inside.

"Yes, well, I have to do something interesting while Harry's at school, Remus." She led him to a small sitting room, where they sat on a battered old couch. "It's only in the summers that I'm able to keep an eye on him."

"Yes, well, this summer you should have your hands full, or at least for the next two weeks."

"Then he did bring his friends home with him?" she asked, her eyes wide. Lupin nodded. "I never thought I'd see the day Harry Potter would be allowed to have friends over. And wizard friends, too! How did you convince Vernon to go along with it?"

Lupin chuckled.

"I didn't so much convince him as I told him it was going to happen, regardless of whether or not he gave his approval. I don't think Harry would have returned had it not been for Ron and Hermione. After all, his protection will only last until his seventeenth birthday at the end of the summer. I don't think he sees the point."

"Well, don't you worry, I'll make sure he sticks around until you come to fetch him."

"I know you will, Arabella. Dumbledore had the utmost faith in you, as do the rest of us in the Order."

At the mention of Dumbledore, Mrs. Figg's eyes began filling with tears.

"How has it been since the funeral, Remus? With the Order, I mean."

"Oh, as well as could be expected." Lupin rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Arthur, Minerva and I have taken charge for now. But I suspect that once Harry returns to headquarters, he will have some ideas of his own on how we should proceed with the attack."

"You'd better believe it!" Mrs. Figg said vehemently. "I've been watching Harry since he was a baby, and he's nothing if not a leader. You-know-who has no idea what kind of boy he's messing with! And to think, Harry is almost a man." Her eyes misted again, but she shook her head as if shaking off the sappy feelings. "Well, let's just say I have complete faith in Harry. And the Order, for that matter."

"Thank you, Arabella. Well, if you have no questions, I believe I should be off. The Order will want to know that Harry and the others are safe at the Dursleys'."

The pair stood and walked back towards the front door, but Lupin stopped when he spotted a young girl sitting at the kitchen table reading a book.

"Oh, that's my niece, Remus," Mrs. Figg explained. "Noel! Noel, come here, I've someone to introduce you to."

The girl hopped off her stool and smiled, holding out her hand for Lupin to shake as she approached. Lupin took it.

"Remus, this is Noel Langdon, my sister's only daughter. Noel, this is Remus Lupin. He is, er, a close friend of mine."

"How do you do, Noel?"

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lupin." Noel smiled politely.

"Just Lupin, please. Noel, will you excuse your aunt and I for just a moment?"

Noel nodded and went back to the kitchen, returning her attention to her book.

"Arabella," Lupin said, lowering his voice, "I don't know if this is quite the time for you to have relatives visiting, given what you have to do for the next two weeks."

Mrs. Figg scoffed.

"Honestly, Remus. I'm just keeping an eye on her while her parents are on vacation in Japan. She's no trouble. I'll be able to watch Harry just fine."

"Well," Lupin said with a sigh, "I suppose there's no changing it now. But please don't tell her what's going on. It will only frighten her."

"I hadn't planned on telling her you-know-who could be hunting us down at this very moment, if that's what you mean." She began waving Lupin out the door. "Don't you worry, Remus! I've got it all under control." She shut the door in his face.

Moments later, there was a loud popping noise that told Mrs. Figg and Noel that Lupin had disapparated.

"Who was that, really?" Noel asked earnestly as her aunt came into the kitchen. Mrs. Figg pulled an abnormally large bag of cat food out of the kitchen pantry and began doling it out into ten tiny bowls on the floor.

"Just a friend, dear, like I told you."

"Come on, Aunt Figgy." Noel put a hand on her hip. "I know he wasn't a friend. I heard half of what you were saying. Are you really watching Harry Potter this summer?"

Mrs. Figg put away the food and, stepping around the army of cats that was gathering at the bowls, stood next to her niece. She looked at the girl for a moment, trying to decide how much to divulge.

"Tell me what you heard, Noel."

"Harry Potter and two of his friends are staying across the street, and you've got to watch them. He's here for some kind of protection from Dumbledore. And I heard something about an order."

"Is that all?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, Aunt Figgy," Noel replied honestly. Her aunt visibly deflated a bit and sat down on the stool next to her. Noel thought she looked exhausted.

"Yes, dear, I'm watching Harry and his friends. Harry is here because Dumbledore put a spell on the Dursleys' home. As long as Harry returns once every summer, he will have a kind of protection from you-know-who until his seventeenth birthday. As for the rest, I can't tell you much. But I will say that the Order is a group acting against Voldemort. Remus is one of the group's leaders."

When Noel stared at her aunt, rapt with attention, Mrs. Figg shook her finger at her.

"That's all I will say! Now, let's get cleaned up for dinner."


	3. Keeping an eye on the Trio

Noel couldn't believe her luck! She'd been dreading spending the summer with her aunt since her parents told her of the arrangement while she was still at Beauxbatons. Not that she didn't like her aunt; on the contrary, she adored Aunt Figgy and loved spending time with her. She had just expected the summer to be… uneventful. Boring, even.

Of course, she'd had no idea that Harry Potter and two of his friends would also be on Privet Drive.

She'd seen the three of them, the 'Golden Trio' as some called them, at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament. Noel had been fascinated by Harry, like many of the other Beauxbatons students, so she'd kept a curious eye on him during her stay at his school. And of course she knew of his two best friends. She had seen Harry with the ginger boy and the curly haired girl enough to put two and two together. They had to be the ones staying with him across the street.

Noel glanced at her aunt, who was in a chair at the sitting room window, her eyes wide open as she watched for any unusual movement in or around the Dursley home.

"Aunt Figgy, how long are you going to sit there?" Noel asked, a bit concerned. Her aunt hadn't moved since she'd taken up the post after dinner, nearly an hour earlier. While Noel had spent the hour dawdling over her book, her aunt hadn't done anything besides blink occasionally. It didn't seem healthy.

"Dumbledore wanted me to watch Harry Potter, dear. So I'm going to do that to the best of my abilities." This declaration seemed to revitalize the old woman, who straightened her posture and held her head higher.

"Yes, but surely Dumbledore didn't mean for you to keep twenty-four hour surveillance on Harry, did he?"

"Well, no, I suppose not. Most summers I just kept a close eye on him, but not twenty-four hours. And two summers ago I even had a partner assigned to me to help keep watch, but that Mundungus got himself locked in Azkaban for impersonating an Inferius. Serves him right, the dirty thief! And last summer, Harry barely arrived before Dumbledore sent me a letter saying he'd be fetching him."

"And this summer?"

"The Order is very busy right now, dear. I'm sure Remus and the others have got more important things to worry about than whether or not I have someone to change shifts with."

"Well I don't think it's a good idea for you to be sitting at this window for two whole weeks," Noel said sternly. "Why don't I take over for a little while? That way you can have a quick nap."

The woman started to protest, but Noel held up her hand and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Aunt Figgy! I'll wake you if I see anything out of the ordinary."

"Oh, alright," she said, rising. "I probably should get some rest before tonight. The overnight watch can be quite boring, and I would hate to fall asleep on duty." She ran a hand fondly over Noel's dark hair before shuffling off to her bedroom and closing the door.

As if on cue, the Dursley's front door swung open and three figures came outside. The warm glow of sunset was enough to illuminate their faces. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger walked down the street, chattering amongst themselves. Noel wondered if she should go get Aunt Figgy, but decided against it. What could the three of them possibly get up to on their first night at Privet Drive?

Noel chewed on her bottom lip uncertainly. Maybe she should follow them. Yes, maybe she should go out for a little stroll.

She grinned at the prospect of running into the Trio. She might even get to speak to them, if she was quick enough.

With a giggle, Noel jogged to the guest room she was staying in. She laced up her trainers and tugged on a navy blue track jacket over her t-shirt and jeans, hoping she hadn't missed them. But by the time she returned to the sitting room window, the three were nowhere in sight.

Slightly disgruntled but not wholly discouraged, Noel decided on a walk to the neighborhood park. She may not have caught the Trio as they were leaving, but she would certainly run into them on their way back to #4.


	4. A little walk in the park

Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to go into town for hamburgers that night, since the Dursleys made it quite plain that they were not welcome at the dinner table. Harry couldn't remember having such a relaxing evening while he was staying at Privet Drive.

"Did you see your cousin's face when I vanished that remote control thing while he was watching TV?" Ron asked as the three of them walked back from dinner.

"Yeah, I thought he might wet himself from shock," Harry laughed. "I don't think Dudley expected you two would be able to use magic here."

Hermione sighed.

"Honestly, you boys have got to find something better to do with your time than frighten Dudley."

"Like what?" Ron asked, looking as though he'd like nothing better than continue scaring Harry's cousin.

But Hermione didn't answer. She'd stopped walking altogether, and was peering just ahead of them at the neighborhood park.

"What's up, Hermione?" Harry asked apprehensively.

"I thought I saw someone in the park. But what would they be doing there so late?"

"Who knows. Dudley's buddies used to hang out there some nights during the summer. Maybe it's just one of them."

"No," said Ron, who was pointing. "It's not one of Dudley's friends. It's a girl! Do you see her?"

Harry and Hermione squinted into the darkness.

"Yes, on the swing set." Harry tensed and noticed that he'd already pulled out his wand. Hermione motioned for him to put it away.

The girl was sitting on the very swing set Harry himself used to occupy. She was swinging slowly, letting her legs dangle and her feet graze the grass beneath her.

"She probably just wants a bit of privacy," Harry said, assuming she was there for the same reasons he used to be. "Come on."

But as they made their way past the park, the girl saw them and stood. Harry's stomach lurched as she jogged over to them. Ron and Hermione looked as apprehensive as he felt. He shook it off, feeling silly for being afraid of a girl in a park.

"Hey!" she called, smiling as she finally reached them.

"Um, hey," Ron replied uncertainly.

Harry stared at her. She looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place her. She was very pretty. She had dark, curly hair that hung below her shoulders, and equally dark brown eyes. She was almost as tall as Harry. There was something knowing in her gaze, something that made Harry think he'd seen her before.

"Have we met?" Hermione asked earnestly. She must have been thinking the same thing as Harry. Well, probably not the pretty part.

"Not quite, but I've seen you three at Hogwarts." Her voice was calm and cheerful, giving no indication that she noticed how anxious Harry, Ron and Hermione felt.

"At Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "But nobody who lives around here goes to Hogwarts."

"You do," the girl said, grinning. "And I don't go to Hogwarts, I go to Beauxbatons. I don't live here, either, I'm just staying with my Aunt Figgy for the summer."

Harry balked at the name.

"You're… you're Mrs. Figg's niece? The, uh, squib from across the street?"

The girl nodded and stuck her hand out to Harry.

"Noel Langdon," she said.

When Harry didn't make a move to shake her hand, Hermione stuck hers out instead.

"I'm Hermione Granger. This is Ron Weasley," she said, as Ron waved and stuck his hands in his pockets. "And this is -"

"No need," Noel said, turning to Harry. "You're Harry Potter. I know. Like I said, I've seen you all at Hogwarts. I was there for the Triwizard Tournament and the Yule Ball."

"Oh, that's where I've seen you, then," Ron gushed. "I knew she looked familiar," he added, elbowing Harry in the ribs and raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, well," Hermione said, all business, "we've got to get going. It was nice meeting you, Noel." She began ushering the boys towards the Dursleys'.

"Do you have to go back so soon?" Noel called, catching up with them. "It's just me and my aunt here, and I don't really have a link to the wizarding world right now besides my owl. I don't mean to be rude, but it's been a bit boring around here. I was hoping we could all, you know, hang out for a bit."

Harry had to grin. He knew exactly how she felt, had felt it himself every summer since he started going to Hogwarts.

"Yeah, it can be boring, to say the least." He glanced at Hermione, who was looking at him sternly. Then he hastened to add, "But, uh, we've got to get back. Maybe some other time."

"Oh, alright," Noel replied regretfully. They were nearing the Dursley home and, consequently, Mrs. Figg's house.

Harry, Ron and Hermione hurried into the Dursleys' house, leaving Noel standing in the street. Harry almost felt guilty for leaving her alone, and he watched her through the front windows as she went inside Mrs. Figg's house across the street before he joined Ron and Hermione in his bedroom.

"Well, that was interesting," Ron conceded, flopping down on his back on Harry's bed. "Imagine, a witch coming to visit right across the street."

"I wouldn't call it interesting," Hermione interjected. "I'd say it's a little too much of a coincidence."

"What do you mean, Hermione?" Ron asked. "Don't tell me you think she's working for you-know-who. She's just a student, like us."

"Well, until we know exactly what she's doing here, I think we should steer clear of her."

"She's just staying with Mrs. Figg," Harry said matter-of-factly. "You remember Mrs. Figg? She's the squib I told you about who stood up for me in front of the Wizengamot after the Dementor attacks. She's a member of the Order. I seriously doubt she's in leagues with Voldemort, Hermione."

Hermione sat down at Harry's desk, apparently running through the facts in her mind.

"I suppose it does sound rather innocent. But I still don't think we should be hanging around with her while we're here. We should be thinking about what we'll have to do after the wedding, trying to figure out the rest of the Horcruxes."

Ron sighed deeply and rubbed a hand over his eyes.

"Can't we just relax for a few days before we get down to it? It's _summer vacation!_ I just want a little bit to wind down from school and… everything."

"Ron's right, Hermione. We should rest while we can, it might be the last downtime any of us will get for a long time." With a yawn, Harry conjured up two fluffy pallets on the ground. Hermione went to the bathroom to change into her pajamas while Harry and Ron changed in the bedroom.

"So, Harry, what do you think of Noel?" Ron asked as soon as Hermione made her exit.

Harry grinned.

"I think you shouldn't let Hermione see you staring at her like you were doing back there. You're going to get yourself in trouble, mate."

Harry and Ron changed into their pajamas, and once Hermione returned, Harry turned off the lamp that lit the room. Then the three of them collapsed beneath the blankets and went to sleep.


	5. Getting to know the Boy Who Lived

_First, let me say I'm SO SORRY it's taken so long to update! I've been having trouble with my roommate whose computer I had my story saved on. It's been difficult, but I think it's all under control now. Please forgive me! I know how irritating it is when you get into a story and then the author all but disappears lol. Like I said, it's under control now. So on with the story! ENJOY!_

Noel woke up the next morning determined to spend more time with the Trio. After all, what better way to spend the summer than passing the time with The Boy Who Lived and his best friends?

Even though they didn't seem particularly keen on spending their summer with her. They probably thought she was just a curious groupie – which wasn't completely untrue. Noel couldn't help it, she was fascinated by Harry and his friends. And of course it helped that Harry was absolutely gorgeous.

She would find a way to hang out with them until they could get more comfortable around her. Surely they would warm up to her once they got to know her, right?

Noel changed into a tank top and jeans and wandered into the front of the house, where she found her Aunt Figgy right where she'd been last night – in front of the window. She felt a pang of concern when she saw how tired her aunt was. It only took her a few minutes to convince the old woman to go to bed and let Noel take over for a while.

With that out of the way, she wondered what to do next. She had no idea what the Trio's plans were. She wasn't even sure they would be leaving the Dursley house that day. Should she just go knock on their door?

"Get real, Noel. You want to be their friend, not stalk them," she muttered moodily.

She needed to clear her head and formulate a plan. A picture of the neighborhood park popped into her mind. It was a very relaxing spot, and she thought a little lounging in the sunshine would do her some good. With some luck, maybe the Trio would come around again soon.

Noel was humming her favorite song as she entered the park, but stopped when she spotted someone on the swing set. Someone much too big to be one of the local children.

"Harry?"

He looked up at her, startled.

"Hi, Noel. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, just passing the time." She struggled to contain her excitement as she took a seat in the swing next to Harry's. "What about you?"

"Same thing, I guess." He seemed distant. His brilliant green eyes were trained on the grass below him as he swung half-heartedly.

"Got something on your mind, or are you just unenthused to see me again?"

He smiled.

"Sorry, I have a lot on my mind."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Er… no, thanks, I can't really discuss it."

Noel could only guess that he was thinking about his troubles with You-Know-Who. She was curious what the truth was regarding Harry and You-know-who, but even she didn't have the nerve to broach the subject when they had just met. She decided to change the subject.

"Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Back at the Dursleys'. Hermione wanted to get some reading done while we're here, and Ron is going to spend the day torturing Dudley."

Noel raised an eyebrow. Harry laughed.

He told her about his cousin and his life with the Dursleys. He made it sound funny, but she couldn't help but notice the pain and resentment in his voice. To lighten the mood, she told him about her visits with her crazy, beloved Aunt Figgy and her army of mutant cats. Noel decided Harry looked very cute when he laughed.

They talked about lots of other things, slipping easily into conversations about school and Quidditch. When Noel told Harry she'd gone to the Yule Ball with one of his classmates, he looked surprised.

"I'd have thought I'd remember if one of the guys took a Beauxbatons girl to the Yule Ball."

"I'm surprised you don't remember me staring at you all night," she laughed. "Me and a few other girls spent almost the entire ball finding excuses to walk past your table. I've never drank so much punch in my life."

Harry blushed slightly before looking at his watch.

"It's almost lunch time, I'd better get going. Ron, Hermione and I will probably go into town for something to eat." He paused as if he was considering something. Then he smiled. "Would you like to come?"

Noel laughed.

"Hmm. Would I like to go for lunch with the famous Harry Potter and his friends? No, I think I'll go back home with the cats."

It was Harry's turn to laugh. Noel grinned at him.

"Of course I'll come."


	6. Lunch with the Trio

It was the first time in a while that Harry could remember having a conversation with someone that didn't involve Voldemort or Dumbledore or his upcoming mission. He was surprised to find how quickly he'd opened up and talked about his life with the Dursleys. Even Ron and Hermione hadn't heard some of the stories he'd told Noel.

They walked to the Dursley's in comfortable silence. When they reached the front door, Noel finally spoke.

"Is it me, or are we being followed?"

Harry's heart leaped into his throat and he yanked his wand out of his pocket. Who could be following them? His eyes darted around the Dursley's yard.

"By whom? I don't see anyone."

Harry realized Noel was laughing at him. He shot her a puzzled glance.

"What's so funny?"

"You are!" she giggled. She pointed at his wand, which Harry was holding in a death grip. "I only meant we were being followed by some neighborhood kid, not You-know-who."

She gestured down the street, where Harry noticed the large, lumbering form of Dudley attempting to hide behind a tree, staring at them. Harry couldn't help but laugh at himself as he replaced his wand in his pocket and relaxed.

"Oh, yeah, that's just my cousin. Sorry, I'm a little on edge lately."

"I noticed."

"I'll run up and get Ron and Hermione. Do you need to let Mrs. Figg know you're going with us?"

Noel slapped a hand to her forehead.

"I completely forgot about Aunt Figgy! Yes, let me run across the street really quickly. I'll meet you lot in just a moment."

She jogged across the street. Harry watched her disappear into the little house before going to get his friends. When they got back outside and Harry hesitated in the street, Ron furrowed his brow.

"Are you coming with us, or are you going to linger in traffic all afternoon?"

"I met Noel in the park again and asked her if she'd like to come. She'll be here in a minute."

Right on cue, Mrs. Figg's front door opened, and Noel stepped outside, greeting them all with a friendly smile. She walked over to them.

"Sorry about that. Shall we?"

The four of them walked into town, choosing a fast food restaurant to eat at. Noel was quiet as she listened to Harry, Ron and Hermione's good-natured joking and picking on each other while they waited for their food. Once they sat down to eat, however, the spotlight was directed at Noel.

"Tell us about yourself, Noel," Hermione said. It sounded very much like a command to Harry, but Noel didn't seem to take offense. Harry wished Hermione wouldn't be so blatantly suspicious.

"There's not much to know, really," Noel began as she squirted ketchup over her fries. "I'm sixteen, but I'll be seventeen in two months. I am about to start my seventh year at Beauxbatons. I'm visiting Aunt Figgy for the summer while Mum and Dad are vacationing in Tokyo."

"Why didn't you go with them?" asked Ron, who was virtually inhaling his hamburger.

"I've been before. It was nice, but I wanted to stay closer to home this summer and relax a bit. I also hadn't seen my aunt in ages, so I asked if I could come for a visit. And," she concluded, spreading her arms wide to indicate their surroundings, "here I am."

Taking a sip of her drink, Hermione eyed Noel. Harry had seen that look in her eyes before, knew she was about to pass some sort of judgment. He was surprised to find himself on the edge of his chair waiting for the verdict.

Hermione finally set down her cup and smiled.

"How is Beauxbatons? I've heard your academics are much quicker paced there than at Hogwarts."

Harry sighed with relief and relaxed in his chair. If Hermione was asking about school work, then Noel had certainly passed the test. He popped a fry into his mouth and listened as Noel told them all about attending the French school.

"Are you friends with Fleur Delacour?" Ron asked hopefully through a mouth full of food. Harry hid a grin when he saw Hermione bristle at the question.

"No. We've met, but we were never friends because we run in different circles. And she's just so _snooty._"

Ron looked crestfallen, but Hermione visibly brightened. Harry suspected Noel had just won some serious extra credit points as far as Hermione was concerned.

They finished up their lunches and walked back to Privet Drive. When Noel asked if they wanted to meet the next day to 'hang out,' Harry agreed before Hermione had a chance to decline for him. After all, half of the reason he was stuck on Privet Drive was that the Order thought he needed a short break. And if he was on break, shouldn't he be free to spend time with whomever he chose instead of locked in the Dursley's studying and preparing for what lay ahead? He told himself this was not a selfish thing to do and said goodbye to Noel, promising to get together the next day.


End file.
